Keynote Speakers and Film Screenings
Colleen Sen
“A Taste of India in the American Imagination: Changing Attitudes from Empire to Diasporic Cuisine”
From the colonial period through the mid-twentieth century, American understanding of India and its culinary traditions were mediated largely through the legacy of the British Raj, epitomized by the generalized category of “curry.” With the growth of the South Asian diaspora beginning in the 1960s, the availability of ingredients expanded, and Indian restaurants began to proliferate. Their offerings, however, remained relatively circumscribed, focusing primarily on North Indian “Mughlai” dishes and South Indian vegetarian fare.
The turn of the new millennium marked a significant transformation, coinciding with shifting immigration patterns—particularly after the introduction of the H-1B visa in 1990—and the arrival of chefs trained in both Indian and classical European culinary traditions. This period witnessed the diversification and innovation of Indian cuisine in the United States. Today, the spectrum of Indian food in America ranges from popular street foods to Michelin-starred fine-dining establishments, where chefs integrate Indian flavors with regional ingredients and global gastronomic techniques.
Dr. Colleen Taylor Sen is a Chicago-based culinary historian who specializes in writing about the food of the Indian Subcontinent. Her articles on food and travel have appeared in the Chicago Tribune, Travel and Leisure, Food Arts, Ms magazine, and other publications. She is the author or coeditor of nine books, including Food Culture in India; Curry: A Global History; Turmeric: The Wonder Spice; The Chicago Food Encyclopedia; Street Food around the World: An Encyclopedia of Food and Culture; The Bloomsbury Handbook of Indian Cuisine and Feasts and Fasts: A History of Indian Food which was named one of the best food books of the year by Vogue and The Smithsonian magazines. She is currently writing the first history of Indian food in America. Her books have been translated into Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. She has an Hon. B.A. and M.A. degree from the University of Toronto and a Ph.D. from Columbia University, all in Slavic Languages.
Dan Robertson
“Tea Cultures of Asia”
Tea is not only a flavorful beverage enjoyed across Asia and the world. It is also an important part of Asia’s economic history, religious and spiritual life, and artistic traditions. Leaves from this plant are crafted into a range of types of tea, including black tea, oolong tea, green tea, white tea, and post-fermented tea. Each characteristic style reflects a cultural setting and has its place in local, regional, and global commerce. Drawing on decades of experience as a master tea blender and tea educator, Dan Robertson will share his insights into the past, present, and future of tea. In this interactive presentation and tea cupping event, attendees will taste diverse teas representing distinctive cultural traditions across Asia.
Since 1989, Dan Robertson has been traveling throughout Asia. He is the founder of The Tea House, an importer and purveyor of premium teas from around the world. He as also the organizer and leader of the acclaimed World Tea Tour, bringing tea-lovers of all levels, on tea adventures to the major tea producing regions of the globe. He is the Director of the International Tea Cuppers Club, an world-wide community of tea lovers of all levels who share a passion for learning about teas through tasting and sharing knowledge. He lectures around the world on a wide range of tea topics for private and industry groups. Robertson is a regular contributor to various tea blogs and has been a contributing editor for several tea magazine. He teaches a number of focused tea-related courses ranging from the Chinese Gongfu Tea Ceremony to in-depth tasting training on specific teas. He serves as a judge in international tea competitions and is the author of the DVD The Art of Tea – The Chinese Tea Ceremony and groundbreaking large format photo-book The Cultures of Tea. He is a graduate of The College of Wooster.
Warren King: King of Cardboard
a film by Curtis Chin
Curtis Chin, noted author of Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant, presents his new short documentary about Chinese American engineer-artist Warren King. This film is part of the PBS American Masters series. More information about the film here. See Curtis Chin‘s website and Warren King’s website. See this interview with Curtis Chin on PBS Newshour.
Bluff City Chinese
a film by Thandi Cai
Bluff City Chinese follows two Chinese American storytellers, filmmaker Thandi Cai and Delta elder Emerald Dunn, as they uncover the untold history of Chinese immigrants in Memphis, Tennessee. Through personal journeys, community oral histories, and archival research, the film weaves a 150-year tapestry of identity, belonging, and resilience. Set against a backdrop of social and racial tensions, this intergenerational collaboration celebrates the power of storytelling to preserve heritage, bridge divides, and inspire unity for future generations.